The former Bell Labs building in Holmdel, seen in this 2009 photo, is the kind of office building that once was the pride of New Jersey, but now is in danger of becoming obsolete.

Written by

The Garden State's office complexes that helped make it an economic hub in the late 20th century are at risk in the 21st century of becoming obsolete, according to a report released Tuesday by Rutgers University economists.

It threatens to return the balance of business power from New Jersey to Manhattan - and take all of the skilled labor and wealth that goes with it, James W. Hughes and Joseph J. Seneca said.

"Information umbilical cords are being severed by sustained advances in communications technology," they wrote. Children of baby boomers "are untethered from fixed-in-place ...